Emergency evacuation of Iford residents to be investigated at Bournemouth flood meeting

THE emergency evacuation and response to severe flooding at Iford Bridge Home Park will be investigated at an upcoming Flood Advisory Group meeting.

Increased flood protection measures, remedial work and improved response times will also form the focus of the Bournemouth Council group meeting on January 20.

Cllr Roger West said ‘questions needed answering’ about how the council, site owner and emergency services reacted to the threat of flooding at Iford.

The chairman of Bournemouth Flood Advisory Group, Cllr John Adams, said the group meeting would be the ideal time to look into the matter as officers would be present to give updates. He said: “In the January meeting we will be investigating the flooding at Iford and Holdenhurst village, as well as all the other affected areas, while having up-to-date charts to review just what happened hour by hour.

“We will also receive reports from the officers in charge, to ensure that the best possible support was provided for our residents.”

At least £5,700 was spent finding emergency housing for those evacuated in the severe flooding from Christmas Day to December 29 and in the new year from January 2 to 8.

Bournemouth council housed 14 people in the first set of placements which came to £3,300 and nine people were accommodated in the second set, which cost a total of £2,400. Cllr Michael Weinhonig said his priority would be the flooding in Holdenhurst village and Strouden Park and seeking to introduce remedial works to avoid further hardship.

He said: “We want to introduce more preventative measures and engage in bringing benefits to people so they don’t suffer again.”

Cllr Weinhonig also raised the issue that residents were not signing up to the DG5 flooding register which maps affected areas.

Comments (7)

"The conclusion of the investigation is that Bournemouth Council in allowing seasonal 'mobile' holiday like homes to be changed to all year residential use when situated on a flood plain alongside a large river known to be liable to frequent winter flooding and the effects of tidal storm surges was fundamentally wrong"

Then let's investigate when and why that very questionable planning decision was ever made and by who - then it might get quite interesting......

Perhaps we can save some time and further expense here.....
"The conclusion of the investigation is that Bournemouth Council in allowing seasonal 'mobile' holiday like homes to be changed to all year residential use when situated on a flood plain alongside a large river known to be liable to frequent winter flooding and the effects of tidal storm surges was fundamentally wrong"
Then let's investigate when and why that very questionable planning decision was ever made and by who - then it might get quite interesting......muscliffman

What a waste of money, they were give notice to move on Christmas Eve, it's the site management who should be investigated for gross incompetence.
Not to mention the site owners for allowing a residential site on this position.
I'm not at all bothered if I get a lot of thumbs down, this is my view.

What a waste of money, they were give notice to move on Christmas Eve, it's the site management who should be investigated for gross incompetence.
Not to mention the site owners for allowing a residential site on this position.
I'm not at all bothered if I get a lot of thumbs down, this is my view.skydriver

Cllr Weinhonig also raised the issue that residents were not signing up to the DG5 flooding register which maps affected areas.

this idiot told him about road flooding at bus lane a year ago did nothing about it in any shape or form

if next to river you will be flooded at sometime or other ( unless you are 50 foot above river on bank but council allow planning on river banks and flood plains and never ensure that there is flood defence protection enforced in planning application. So this will happen over and over site owner should protect its residents out of there profits

Cllr Weinhonig also raised the issue that residents were not signing up to the DG5 flooding register which maps affected areas.
this idiot told him about road flooding at bus lane a year ago did nothing about it in any shape or form
if next to river you will be flooded at sometime or other ( unless you are 50 foot above river on bank but council allow planning on river banks and flood plains and never ensure that there is flood defence protection enforced in planning application. So this will happen over and over site owner should protect its residents out of there profitswonderway

Mmmmm ? Is it just me or can anybody else see just how deep the "Raging Torrent " is from the picture ??? ! Who should be REALLY castigated in all this is the Environment Agency for their hysterical pronouncements of " Severe Flooding , Danger to Life " warnings !! Broadcast because they have had their funding cutback and I believe the current phrase is that they were "Bigging themselves up " !! What are they going to announce when we DO get the one in a hundred years flooding event ?

Mmmmm ? Is it just me or can anybody else see just how deep the "Raging Torrent " is from the picture ??? ! Who should be REALLY castigated in all this is the Environment Agency for their hysterical pronouncements of " Severe Flooding , Danger to Life " warnings !! Broadcast because they have had their funding cutback and I believe the current phrase is that they were "Bigging themselves up " !! What are they going to announce when we DO get the one in a hundred years flooding event ?wokboy60

Its a shame that Cllr West appears critical of the council's actions. Yet it was council workers who gave up their Christmas Day's to help these people, by housing them, feeding them and keeping them warm. But i guess that is not good enough for him. I like t see him address those workers and tell them their efforts were not appreciated

Its a shame that Cllr West appears critical of the council's actions. Yet it was council workers who gave up their Christmas Day's to help these people, by housing them, feeding them and keeping them warm. But i guess that is not good enough for him. I like t see him address those workers and tell them their efforts were not appreciateds-pb2